Vegans Need Vitamin B12

Vegans Need Vitamin B12

Why Vegetarians and Vegans Need Vitamin B12

People who have a vegetarian or vegan diet are already aware of their need for protein and iron, two crucial nutrients that are hard to get without eating meat. However, vegetarians and vegans need vitamin B12 too.

Vitamin B12 is another nutrient that is only found in animal products, so it is important for people who abstain from eating these foods to be proactive about their health and seek out alternative supplements.

What Does Vitamin B12 Do?

Vitamin B12 is formed by bacteria in the intestines of animals, which is why this vitamin can only be derived from animal sources. In the human body, vitamin B12 plays crucial roles in the nervous, digestive, and circulatory systems.

B12 is responsible for maintenance of the brain and nerves. It also plays a role in mood regulation, so a deficiency of vitamin B12 and depression are strongly linked.

In the digestive system, vitamin B12 aids in the digestion of food by speeding up the metabolism. For this reason, B12 shots for weight loss are a common addition to many weight loss plans.

B12 is also a necessary nutrient to create red blood cells, which bring oxygen to the rest of the body and keep you feeling healthy.

Signs That A Vegetarian Or Vegan Has A Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vegetarians and vegans who eat a well-balanced diet tend to feel quite energized, but even those who eat right can suffer from B12 deficiency. Symptoms of a deficiency include:

Persistent deficiencies of vitamin B12 are strongly linked to dementia, memory loss, paranoia, and other forms of serious cognitive decline from which there may be no recovery. For these reasons, vegetarians and vegans need vitamin B12 to live long, healthy and happy lives.

Sources Of Vitamin B12 For Vegetarians And Vegans

Vegetarians who can eat dairy and eggs are less at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency than their vegan counterparts because almost all animal products contain vitamin B12.

So this is good news for certain vegetarians, but what about the vegans? Vegans need vitamin B12 too, though they have to get this nutrient through alternative sources.

Oral pills are possible ways of getting enough vitamin B12, but much of the nutrient is lost during absorption in the gut.

Vitamin B12 shots, on the other hand, are a much more certain way to make sure that you get all of the vitamins you need each and every time you take your supplement. Vitamin B12 shots, when administered regularly, are a great way for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they get the nutrients they need to function.

Being a vegetarian or vegan is a personal choice, but the fact that your body still needs animal-derived nutrients like vitamin B12 is not a choice. You can, however, choose to get your B12 through non-animal sources such as in a B12 injectable supplement, so that you can stay true to your lifestyle while being responsible about your health.